Germany Will Abide By the USA Leadership​And France Gathers Ten Nation CoalitionWhile Appeasing the US President Trump

5-15-18, Politico.Eu -- There will be no uprising in Europe, much less a revolution against American hegemony [dominance]. For all of the public heavy breathing by the EU in the wake of President Trump’s decision to honor his campaign promise on Iran, behind the scenes, senior policymakers have pursued a more familiar European tactic — appeasement.

President Trump wants Germany to increase spending on defense to at least 2 percent of gross domestic product, that was the agreed amount by all North Atlantic Treaty Organization members at a summit in 2014; yet Germany only contributes 1.2%. In 2017 the U.S. contributed 3.1 percent, or $610 billion. The debate over German defense spending isn’t new. U.S. administrations going back decades have cajoled the German government to pony up more for the military. But if those discussions were difficult in the past, they have become toxic under Trump.

And for all the energy German politicians have spent since Trump’s election waxing about reducing the country’s reliance on the U.S., the subject of the nuclear shield Washington provides Germany is almost never mentioned.

Despite the challenges Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel will face at home for doing the US President Trump’s bidding, ultimately, she will likely have little choice. Stephan Bierling, a professor of international relations at the University of Regensburg said: “We are not prepared for a world without U.S. dominance. We lack a functioning army, a real strategy for what we want, as well as the concepts and leadership to guide us.”In other words, even if Europe wants to say “Goodbye,” there’s no escaping Trump’s “Hello.” Appeasement is the only answer.

France's Macron Setting Up Ten Nation Coalition5-2-18, PARIS — Impatient with German foot-dragging on defense, French President Emmanuel Macron will bring together a 10-nation coalition of the willing next month designed to prepare European armed forces to take action together in emergencies, and to bind Britain into military cooperation as it leaves the EU.

France, the U.K., Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Portugal, Denmark and Estonia will sign a letter of intent in Paris in June 2018 pledging to develop a common strategic culture, share analysis and foresight on trouble spots that may require intervention and work to coordinate their forces for future operations.